How many times have we come across the usage of the following, which should be enough to make it to qualify as an idiom in itself: “I hate my job...”, “I hate my life…“.
My mind was pondering over our habit of hating monotonicity. How easily one proclaims that he/she is bored of life/job/workplace. The irony in the sentence really surprises me. The fact that we are here and breathing is itself such a culmination of rare events(that could have easily broken down), that has kept us surviving here.
We worry too much about the future which renders our present a spoiler for our upcoming dreams. It’s one thing to claim that we want one kind of lifestyle and whole other thing to try to get that.
I am really thankful to the internet, which has been providing us resources for so many years now. Although, on one hand, it is providing us with great stories, which should be inspiring us to do something of our own. But the other side of the coin is, it has made us really dependent on the entertainment factor. The fact that we expect so much entertainment or facts sugar-coated with entertainment, has made us a slave of it. It has a part to play in such a behaviour of ours.
Now, coming to the main point, why do we think that our current situation is monotonous. It could be because we see no/uncertain future ahead. It leads me to believe that we are not satisfied with our present. Something haunts us that throws our present off the track.
My theory is that, your satisfaction in life(apart from the big events happening around you), is mostly dependent on how you are spending time after your office hours. If you are getting your personal time, you can find happiness too. Now, let me try to define ‘personal time’. In general sense, ‘personal time’ for introverts could be reading a book, writing something, recharging themselves by staying away from human interactions(:P); while for extroverts, it could mean having their favorite people around, doing something social, etc.
The reason why people are very vocal these days, is because there have been an over-enthusiastic show of dreamy jobs. With the ongoing wave of standup performers, entrepreneurs etc, and the media actively covering their stories of how they broke the shackles of boring jobs to become what they are. Although the stories are very inspiring, but the stories getting mainstream has created a problem with the masses. Suddenly, everyone has started hating their current jobs, citing them boring and monotonous.
The problem is more accentuated in Indians because we are dreamy people, expecting drama in our lives, because of the way we are conditioned. So, these stories make a deep mark in our minds, and thus overhauling our current situations. Now, the current situation is, you are considered cool only when you are doing a job that you absolutely love. This mentality has created frustration in the minds of people. My point is, suppose you like painting, it shouldn’t necessarily be a source of income for you. But the starry-eyed media will condition you to make it your profession. All hobbies shouldn’t be converted into profession. Our hobbies are fun because we enjoy it and there is no pressure on us. There isn’t anyone breathing on our necks to make us complete another painting or start another project.
So, it’s okay to be in a job, which is not your forte. We will learn it, because we are humans and that’s what we do best.
I will reiterate: In my opinion, life starts after you come back to home after job. I am not saying one shouldn’t enjoy their jobs, one should definitely do that if one can, but keeping in mind that there will be continuous ups and downs there.
Forgetting office work in office, once we return, that is upto us. Learning to enjoy the moments at home, its comfort and the soothness it offers, could be the thing to start with. Travelling really opens up the world to us. Having satisfying conversations does the trick for some. And if nothing works, partying is always there to help.
On a serious note , there are plethora of activities that we can engage ourselves in, and make sure we are using our time productively and to also ensure that we are satisfied as well. Instead of fearing for the impacts of monotonicity, we can make the present memorable. After all, it’s the memories that will matter in the end.